In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Kolkata Police have apprehended the alleged kingpin of a sophisticated online fraud gang from Pune. The arrest targets a fake hotel booking racket that has been systematically cheating residents of Kolkata for the past seven months.
Mastermind Arrested in Pune Operation
Huzaifa Shabbir Darbar, identified as the primary orchestrator of the cyber fraud operation, was arrested by Kolkata Police from Pune. Authorities allege that Darbar and his associates were running an elaborate scam involving fake websites of reputed hotels, which duped at least 83 Kolkata residents out of a total sum of Rs 13,60,803.
Modus Operandi of the Fraudulent Scheme
Police investigations reveal that the gang employed a multi-layered approach to deceive victims. They created convincing counterfeit websites of well-known hotels to lure unsuspecting customers. To add a veneer of legitimacy, the fraudsters used fabricated documents and even shared photographs of actual hotel rooms to build trust with their targets.
One detailed case involves Debajyoti Mallick, a 36-year-old resident of Purba Barisha. On May 5, 2025, Mallick attempted to book a room at "Puri Hotel" through one of these fake websites. The scammers first asked him to pay a nominal fee of Re 1 for 'verification,' which was directed to an account under the name Anuj Kumar Solanki, who posed as the hotel's front desk manager.
Escalation of the Fraudulent Transactions
After the initial payment, Mallick was informed that his UPI transactions had failed. He was then instructed to make payments through digital wallets under the name Ashis Jena, who claimed to be the hotel's senior manager. Following these instructions, Mallick transferred Rs 4,480 on the same day. However, he never received any booking confirmation, and subsequent attempts to contact the fraudsters went unanswered.
Investigation and Key Breakthroughs
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime & Traffic) Rupesh Kumar provided insights into the investigative process. "During the probe, police discovered that the fake domain was hosted on GoDaddy.com, LLC. We also obtained an email ID associated with the scam," Kumar stated. He emphasized that prompt and cooperative responses from both GoDaddy and the email service provider were crucial in tracing the perpetrators and facilitating the arrest.
Wider Implications and Police Response
This arrest highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud in urban centers like Kolkata and the sophisticated methods employed by criminal networks. Kolkata Police's successful operation underscores their commitment to tackling digital crimes and protecting citizens from such predatory schemes. The case serves as a stark reminder for the public to exercise caution when making online bookings and to verify the authenticity of websites before proceeding with payments.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the racket, aiming to dismantle the entire network and prevent further victimization.
